It's Just A Game Of Fixing Hearts
by amywrites10
Summary: AU/ in which Piper's one night stand turns out to be a lot more important than that. **The first two chapters of this story are inspired by Grey's Anatomy, so credit to that wonderful show for ideas.**
1. she was only a one time thing

The sight Polly walked into -for what she thought would be a mundane Monday morning- was a pretty funny scene. She walked in her house and opened the door to her spacious living room to see Piper lying on one couch under a thick tartan patterned blanket and a ravenous dark-haired beauty lying in her underwear, sprawled out on the opposite facing couch. Polly let out a small giggle as she walked over to her friend and tried to wake her for her consuming sleep after an evidently eventful night. She padded across the wooden floor of her modern home she shared with her friend and leaned over the couch and gently shook Piper's shoulder.

"Psst! Pipes, wake the fuck up!" she whispered getting increasingly louder.

"Huh? Huh? HUH?!" Piper's body shook from side to side as she startled awake, confused.

All she was met with was Polly's simple laughter; "So um who's the houseguest?"

Before Piper had the chance to form coherent thoughts or words, Polly chimed in; "And wait shouldn't you already be at the hospital. I mean I thought punctuality was important for you obnoxious doctor types?" Polly teased.

"Oh fuck fuck fuck. What time is it?" Pipers baby blue eyes widening in alarm as she sat up and looked around the room. Her eyes immediately fixing on the mop of black hair which had started moving around on her immaculate white leather couch, stirring from her slumber after being awakened by all the hushed commotion.

The beautiful women stretched her arms out in front of her and then proceeded to rub her eyes with one hand whilst using the other to push her self up from her sleeping position. Once sitting, two sleepy green eyes peered up at Piper and Polly, her emerald eyes travelled uneasily from the stares of the two women. Piper couldn't help but notice how much they sparkled every time she moved them.

"uuuh hi?" Polly awkwardly announced into the increasing silence between the three...

"Hey there?" the women said with a cocky smile forming on her full red lips as she locked her stare on Piper.

"Um Pol, this is uh eh…" Piper trailed off.

Piper couldn't even remember her one night stands name, god dammit, this day was getting off to a wonderful start.

"It's Alex." the women said firmly with raised eyebrows and an attempt at a slight laugh following.

"Um yes of course, Alex, right. Well um.. Alex, I'm sorry but I really have to go I'm starting a new job today and I've totally fucked up and I'm going to be late. Polly here will help show you to the kitchen to fix some breakfast; Right Pol?", she looked pleadingly at her friend.

Out of the view of Alex, Polly rolled her eyes at Piper, as Piper ran in little pyjama like shorts and a thin white cami top towards the hallway at the back of the living room to go get quickly ready for work, before she headed up the stairs though, she stopped and turned towards the two "Goodbye. Alex." Piper said sounding definite, her voice in her usual sweet tone. Thinking this would be the last she would see of Alex, after all she was only a one time thing, something Piper has had many of before.

And with that Alex nodded and stood up and walked towards Polly.

"You're uh tall?" Polly observed as she picked up the blanket that Piper had left on the couch and thrust it towards Alex and her black lace underwear she was standing in. This woman was confident, Polly would give her that.

"I've been told." Alex regarded smugly, taking the blanket from Piper's peculiar friend whom she instantly took a slight disliking too, Polly just had an utterly annoying, bad vibe, that would totally get under her skin.

* * *

><p>Piper arrived slightly late and found her way to operating room 1 where she was meant to be 10 minutes ago, before she opened the doors, Piper breathed a sigh of relief she wasn't as late as she thought she was going to be and hopefully no-one would take much notice of her tardiness. The OR was empty, -being used as an initial meeting room for the new flock of interns- everything was so clean, obviously sterile, the colour tone of the room was so washed out, white and blue and the lights up above were blinding, totally not the ideal situation to be nursing her hangover in. She looked around the room in amazement and slight apprehension in realising just how much time she was going to be spending in here.<p>

Piper silently hustled amongst the other interns as the Chief of Surgery was finishing his closing sentiment; "A month ago you were in medical school being taught by the doctors. Today you are the doctors."

Wow. Piper suddenly felt a wave of horror for the day ahead. She was a proper doctor, Doctor Chapman. She was now standing in one of the countries most acclaimed hospitals; which housed one of the most prestigious surgical programmes. Piper had chosen the most competitive and hardest of any of the specialties she could have chosen following on from medical school, **surgery**. She could see the determination around her in her fellow young doctors eyes, almost feel it even. Not just determination but fearlessness, they were out for blood and they all knew it. The next seven years Piper would now spend as a surgical resident at Lichfield hospital in New York City will most certainly be the best and worst of her life. _I am totally screwed_ was all that echoed through Piper's thoughts over and over.

After a warm round of applause for their Chief of Surgery, Doctor Caputo, the grateful and immensely excited interns set off on their first day as qualified doctors and were given the daunting task of meeting their attending. The 20 or so new interns hurried off together to greet their new teacher, all talking loudly amongst one and other, they were all so excited. Bustling full of new life and ideas bringing into the work place where death would become a part of their everyday life.

"Which attending you assigned to?" an intern questioned his surrounding peers.

"I got Vause."

"Me too!" Piper chirped in.

"Ah I've got Doctor Taylor, tough luck, I heard she's the best." gloated an irrelevant Doctor Bloom.

Piper took little notice, "So um have any of you heard what Vause is like then?"

"Dragon lady!"

"Horrible!"

"Rude!"

Replies with a flow of negative connotations were all she was met with. "Ohhh…" Piper tailed off, with her expression saddening. Faced with all these harsh reviews on her to be attending Piper was left wishing she'd never asked, surely she can't be that bad. Right? Piper continued walking optimistically hoping that she'll like her. Lost in her own thoughts she was suddenly started by the calling of her name;

"Chapman, Miller, Jefferson, Bennett, Morello.. with me!"

Piper recognised that voice instantly, that sultry deep sexy voice. She almost collapsed right then and there in the middle of one of the hospitals many corridors. O_mg, no this could not be happening.._ She was terrified to look over and attach her eyes to whoever that voice bellowed from, _but no surely it couldn't be.._

"Alex…" her name fell from her lips like silk, soft in a whisper.

* * *

><p><span>Authors Note<span>: Hello, this is my first attempt at any type of story ever, I decided to give writing a go after accidentally coming across the world of just a short while ago and it seems like good fun :) I was inspired to write this story in this particular setting because of my love of Grey's Anatomy! If you took the time to read this story then thank you ever so much, I would really appreciate any feedback you have to offer. Sorry for the rambling here, Amy.


	2. like you've seen me naked

The name she couldn't place this morning came to her so easily. Piper raised her head slightly, wisps of blonde hair from her fringe which were too short to be tied in with her pony tail fell gently over her forehead. Yes those eyes, those piercing jade-green eyes melted into her baby blues. Alex was visibly stunned; her perfectly plucked dark eyebrows shooting up her forehead and her mouth automatically twisting into an 'o' shape of shock. She tried to contain herself quickly though, realising all to well where she was. She regarded that their glare had lasted far too long for supposed strangers and quickly changed her expression to a stern one, shaking off the surprise and reaching up and fidgeting with her glasses; hoping none of the other interns noticed their awkward encounter, fuck of course they didn't _interns were dumb fucks_ Alex thought inwardly.

"Lets go!" Alex said a little more dryly than intended. Hopefully, out of the view of the other interns she offered a subtle wink at Piper, and with that she was off on rounds with her brand spanking new interns in tow, this was going to be fun.

Alex looked so damn hot in her doctor get up. Signifying she was an attending she had her dark blue scrubs, not a mark on them for the start of a fresh day, and of course, her pristine white lab coat which hung off her tall frame. Above her chest area on the left hand side it was cutely stitched **_Alex Vause. M.D._** and underneath that in smaller letters _**Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery**_. Alex was shapely, something which Piper knew all too well from their rendezvous last night. Her black stethoscope was casually wound snake-like and pushed into her bottom right deep pocket of her lab coat. Her hair, so black in stark contrast to her flawless porcelain skin was pulled loosely together in a high pony tail, with last nights messy curls flowing from the hair-tie. And finally those glasses which fitted her face so perfectly, her black framed secretary glasses looked like the style was made just for her. They were her identity, and highlighted those eyes which today were outlined in a sleek line of black eyeliner on each lid. Alex was truly beautiful, her facial features so unique, she was one whom would stand out like a rose in a desert.

"…..Doctor Chapman!" suddenly she was startled from undressing a certain attending with her eyes and instead blinking to adjust her vision and was met with a set of flaring green iris', she couldn't help but blush, first Piper felt the tips of her ears slightly reddening and beginning to burn and then the inevitable slow creep of crimson on her cheeks.

"Since you were clearly day dreaming, would you ever so kindly care to explain to our patient here what the procedure to change her heart valve is going to be?" Alex regarded smugly with a smile.

"Um… Um.. Yes of course, certainly, Mrs Bell, in your case the surgery will be minimally invasive and the valve can be replaced without opening your chest, instead the damaged valve is being replaced through a small incision near the sternum or under your right pectoral muscle to access the heart valve…"

Piper confidently began explaining all the medical jargon which had engrained itself in her brain through the countless rereading of medical textbooks. Piper was immensely clever, top of her class at NYU school of medicine, she had a photographic memory so remembering hundreds of medical diseases and their ways in which to treat them came more easily to Piper than for some. For as long as she could remember Piper wanted to be a doctor, she just cared, and cared too much at that. Her father is a world-class neurosurgeon so maybe that influenced her decision, of course it did. She was always looking for his approval since he was busy and worked all her childhood. Piper never wanted for anything as a kid, growing up in an affluent area with her boisterous younger brother Cal, yet she lacked her fathers love and this became a widening hole the older she got. Piper getting straight A's in high school was all that she could really do to impress him and try to seek some of his approval and guidance. Of course he was thrilled when she told him that she was going to medical school. Her mother not so much, she knew all too well what being a surgeon did to a family, herself on the brink of filing for a divorce many times, it takes a very selfless and patient person to be married to a fleeting surgeon. Therefore, Piper's decision to go to medical school, ultimately put further strain on her relationship with her mother which was already tenuous to say the least.

"Thank you excellent answer, Doctor Chapman." Doctor Vause happily smiled. Piper tried to hide her creeping smile in a modest way after also surprisingly receiving warm looks of approval and awe from her fellow interns after giving such an in-depth answer to the question. After seeing to Mrs Bell, the group proceeded out of the room and stood by the nurses station whilst Doctor Vause returned the patients chart.

* * *

><p>Doctor Vause returned with a bunch of files in hand, looking expectantly at her interns;<p>

"Okay, so this is a case report on a young girl that came in yesterday and you, as her doctors, need to diagnose her. Meet me back at this nurses station in four hours with your correct diagnosis, whoever gets it right gets to scrub in with me to fix the problem. Good Luck." Alex stated bluntly as she passed the case files out to each of her eager inters smiling up at her. The chance to scrub in on a real, live surgery on their first day! Wow. This really was a big reward she was giving out, let the ugly competitiveness of the surgical playing field commence. She turned in her comfortable black training shoes and began to saunter off down the hospital corridor.

"Doctor Vause!" was apprehensively muttered out loudly after her.

Alex smiled smugly to herself, pausing before turning round, knowing exactly whose large puppy dog eyes would be meeting her own.

"Yes Doctor Chapman? I'm busy, come walk and talk with me now." She said plainly without missing a beat, aware of the four remaining gawking interns.

Piper caught up with her and they walked in silence down the corridor until passing through the doors leading to the stairs. There was something growing between them in those seconds, something palpable, something very real, all that it could be described as was chemistry, yet only time will see.

Standing in the open space between connecting staircases, they looked at each other with smiles starting to grow, fondly remembering their encounter last night.

"Well this is a strange turn of events, I bet you regret not making me breakfast this morning, leaving me with your strange friend Polly Hobby?" Alex said as she nudged Piper playfully and raised her eyebrows with a crooked smile.

Piper became utterly speechless as the sharp realisation set in. She couldn't believe that any of this was happening, she had absolutely no words. Her smile turned and she started to panic. _Omg this is my new teacher, my attending, my boss!_ She quickly regarded how totally fucked this whole situation was and how she needed to put an end to it right then and there, all she could muster was a silly; "Lets just pretend it never happened." statement, not quite meeting Alex's eyes with her own.

That's the thing with young doctors, so naïve. So naïve to the world of medicine but more importantly life. All Piper's life so far had been spent it school, her head in textbooks studying, meeting deadlines and stressing about coursework. She hadn't really lived yet, she had never travelled or experienced different cultures, she had never been in love. At the tender age of twenty-four, a baby out of medical school and now bottom of the surgical food chain; Piper was naïve and quite frankly she just didn't know the rules.

"What never happened?" Alex slyly remarked; "You sleeping with me? or you running away from me this morning? because both are fond memories I'd like to hold on to." she teased.

"No there will be no memories because I'm not that sad girl at the bar anymore and you're not that other girl. _**This**_ can't exist, you get that, right?" Piper physically waving her hand between the two with emphasis on the **_this_**.

"You took advantage of me and now you wanna forget about it?" Alex mocked in retaliation.

"I did not take advantage of you!" Her timid blue eyes widening.

"I was drunk, vulnerable and fucking hot and you took advantage." Alex teased with a smile forming on her full red lips.

"Okay I was the one who was drunk and you are not that good-looking?!" Piper said, with knowingly lying words in the latter part. Alex was so fucking hot and on some level I think everyone knew that.

"Stop looking at me like that.." Piper muttered.

"Like what?" Alex totally knew what she was doing, making the laughable tension grow between the two as she pushed her glasses on top of her head.

"Like you've seen me naked…" Piper quickly became overcome with shyness at this thought, and finally stuttered out loudly;

"Doctor Vause, This. Is. Inappropriate."

She turned to her right and begin to hop up the staircase with a bounce in her step still clutching to the needing to be solved case file with a slight smirk creeping over her face.

And with that Alex happily sighed watching the blond nervously run up the stairs. Following their banter, she was left with a lasting impression of Piper. Piper was tall too, just slightly smaller that herself. She also noted that Piper looked damn good with her shoulder length locks tied back, in that moment, in the light of day, it really allowed Alex to see her face in the close proximity she was to her. Alex noticed just how perfectly bright blue her eyes were, so alive, the shade of the colour you wished your blue eyes were. Her large eyes with dark intriguing pupils, paired with the cute small nose every girl dreamed of, and thin pale pink lips that just seemed to balance out her facial features perfectly. Her skin was so clear with the odd freckle here and there and in a slightly darker shade to her own very pale complexion. Piper was beautiful, there was a softness to her that just appealed to Alex. Her light blue scrubs and white lab coat were hiding her athletic shape, it was somewhat of a shame that her gorgeous toned arms and legs had to be concealed all day, but Alex felt coyly pleased that see had already seen what there was to see. She somehow felt fuller after her encounter with the young intern, in all honesty, she had secretly hoped that she would come to meet Piper again, -although not in this particular scenario, Alex did find it rather funny- there was something palpable there, something which she liked, which clicked with her own being.

Fate does have a funny way of working itself out.


	3. couldn't get her words out fast enough

A/N: *apologies in advance if any of the medical stuff in this chapter is wrong, although I did research it as best as I could but anyway let's all remember that this is only fanfiction, haha. Let me know what you think. Thanks so much for reading :)*

* * *

><p>Piper found herself slumped on the library floor surrounded by medical textbooks and journals. She just could not figure out what the hell was wrong with this girl, she had reread her case file countless times even though she was sure she remembered every detail on her first reading. Maybe her problem wasn't remembering the medicine, perhaps it was the smug faced cardiothoracic attending that plagued her thoughts. She just could not shake Alex Vause from her mind, and their drunken antics of last night were coming back to her clouded mind in dribs and drabs. The way Alex kissed her, how she felt when her body pressed against hers, <em>ugh Piper focus <em>screamed through her brain. Okay. So the patient is in her early teens, has never had any medical problems previously and was admitted yesterday after suddenly fainting whilst exercising and was then discovered to be developing cyanosis, jugular venous pressure, and blood tests showed lowered oxygenation of the blood. Piper paused her thoughts for a moment, thinking she'd remembered reading another report on a patient with similar symptoms and it turned out he had a complicated heart condition which went unnoticed for many years as it didn't display any negative symptoms until surgery was needed in his early twenties. _Now where did I read that…_ her photographic memory was sure to come in handy now, as she stood up and walked around the library trying to find the particular book she pictured.

A victorious high-pitched "Yes!" soon squealed from a pleased Piper as she slammed the book closed and returned it to the crowded shelf, she then whispered to herself; "I need to find Doctor Vause.." and with that she ran out of the library and along the hospital corridor, wearing a wide dorky toothed smile on her face. She was sure she was right and she just damn loved being right.

* * *

><p>"ALEX!" She spotted the woman from behind, her and her jet black curls were about to enter the elevator. She had gotten carried away by calling her by her first name, and quickly rectified herself; she muttered.. "um sorry, um.." before calling again "Doctor Vause!"<p>

Alex turned around in the elevator and instantly put her hand between the moving doors to hold it for a crazily smiling Piper who ran towards her waving the case file around in the air.

Piper reached the elevator and she just couldn't get her words out fast enough;

"It's pulmonary valve stenosis! In which the outflow of blood from the right ventricle of the heart is obstructed at the level of the pulmonic valve. In this particular patients case I believe that this has occurred due to rheumatic heart disease, I ordered an echocardiogram for you to confirm, and to fix it you will need to replace the valve completely or balloon valvuoplasty is another option.."

She slowed her racing thoughts before shyly adding: "um depending on your opinion.. of course."

"Breathe, Doctor Chapman." was all Alex gently said as she reached up and put her hands on either side of Piper's upper arms reassuringly. Piper exhaled a sigh of relief knowing just knowing she was right, and this was confirmed as she looked up at Alex who proudly smiled back at her.

"You ready to scrub in with me later then kid?" She raised her sleek eyebrow questionably.

"Of course, Doctor Vause." Piper smugly replied.

"Now I'll have to page my remaining idiot interns and let them know you beat them to it." They were interrupted with the 'ding' of the elevator, and so Alex quickly continued; "Excellent work Doctor Chapman, I'll look forward to seeing you in the OR later" before hoping off on her designated floor.

Piper watched her in awe as she walked briskly off, in true doctor fashion. There was just something totally mesmerizing about her, as the elevator doors closed and Alex disappeared she was left feeling slightly deflated and.. confused. Quite frankly Piper Chapman was just totally confused by her. Why did she have this effect on her? Why did Piper feel some unfathomable thing building between them? Drawing them together. Yes, they had had sex, a drunken one night stand, which surely meant nothing, Right? Piper admittedly had been rather promiscuous recently and none of her other sexual partners could have left her feeling like this the next day in an elevator. Piper realised that Alex was different, she was the clichéd special one. With the familiar 'ding' signifying the reach of another floor Piper got off and tried to get her bearings.

Alex sauntered off down the hospital corridor and simply couldn't shake her smile. Wow. Piper wasn't just beautiful and intriguing, she was incredibly smart, there was real substance to her. Alex was flawed by her correct diagnosis, and mentally noted how she came to her with the information before their arranged meeting time, with the other interns later. She was eager to impress and Alex liked that.

* * *

><p>Piper set off to the cafeteria to grab a quick something to eat, hospital food couldn't be that bad; plus if it was, she would just have to suck it up and get used to it. She got a cheese and tomato sandwich, little carton of milk and a fruit pot with mixed berries. Carrying her food on the brown tray she went to find a place to sit. The cafeteria was large, the inside walls were painted the boring hospital neutral colours and there was also a nice little outdoor area with tables which Piper thought would be nice to sit at when the weather changed. Not really knowing anyone yet, she was just looking for an empty small table amongst the bustling cafeteria. She had chosen a busy time, with lots of hungry hospital staff gunning for their lunch.<p>

"Oi Chapman, over here!" She had been summoned. The voice came from John Bennett one of the interns in her group.

Once she sat down at the table. He continued snidely;

"So how'd you figure it out Chapman? Tell us your secret?"

Before Piper could get a word in edge ways, another one of the interns was hounding her;

"Yeah, and why'd you go running to Vause two hours early? You could've at least gave us a chance?" enviously chimed in Tasha Jefferson, although a smile soon formed on her lips, hinting that she wasn't too serious.

Piper realised that they were all there, all four of them from her intern group, presumably sulking into their lunch having not won the surgery. Piper was relieved to see one sweet smiling face though;

"You guys, leave her alone! We would've all done the same. Well done, Piper." Lorna Morello regarded sweetly.

Piper liked Lorna instantly, she knew they would be friends. She was kind-hearted, just one of those people you couldn't dislike. She seemed to be genuinely offering Piper her congratulations. Lorna was tiny around five foot and no more, with a petite frame. She definitely was not intimidating with her dimpled cheeks when she smiled, her deep brown eyes and her bright ruby-red lipstick glossing over her lips. Doctor Miller, whose name was Tricia, just looked at Piper through her blue-grey eyes and listened to the conversation of her peers without uttering a word. Until her pager went off. "Shit!" was all that said before she pushed her chair out from underneath her and ran off.

* * *

><p>"Sorry, I got here as fast as I could" panted an out of breath Tricia, from running up countless flights of stairs. She looked around confused. She was the only doctor there, everybody was waiting for her word. A nurse was on her patient doing compressions and giving the patient breaths in-between. The noise in the room was suffocating, and all those sets of eyes fixated on her.<p>

"Doctor, your patient is coding. What do you want to do?" a worried nurse asked expectantly.

"um um ah.." Flustered. Tricia was completely drowning. She had never ran a code before. Looking around, all the nurses waiting on her commands. The pressure was too much, she had never been in this situation before with all these people hanging on her every word.

"I um.. I don't know.." her mind had gone completely blank, she was in a clouded state of panic.

"Doctor, her stats are dropping… you need to get an airway by intubation right away."

"Fuck, will somebody just page Doctor Vause already!" she shouted exasperatedly.

Taking a breath and thinking.. _Okay okay I can do this,_ "Pass me a tracheal tube!" God, she had done this so many times in medical school, but in the moment with a dying patient on her hands, she inevitably doubted her abilities.. _Okay, down the throat and into the lungs, I can do this. Oh please don't go into the stomach.._ her thoughts pleaded. Her hands where shaking, she breathed deeply out and in trying to get her composure before inserting the tube and attaching the Ambu bag. It was all over in a second. "Yes." she muttered in the released breath which she had been inadvertently holding, as a nurse took over pumping the oxygen bag.

"Excellent, Doctor Miller." Nurse Fisher said encouragingly.

Just as Tricia was getting her composure, and moving on to the next step, Doctor Vause stormed into the clustered room;

"What the fuck is going on here?!" looking around alarmingly.

"Pass me her chart." she bluntly yelled.

Alex quickly read through the important information and then began running the code efficiently; she instructed the team to get labs-drawn, start new IV sites and push the medication all within a couple of minutes. She then decided the patients heart was in a shock-able rhythm and instructed that pads were to be applied to the patients chest and she began shocking.

Alex yelled "CLEAR!" before lowering the paddles to the patients chest.

Tricia stood back as soon as Doctor Vause entered the room. She slumped against the wall, relief rushed through her. She watched filled with wonder as Doctor Vause commanded the room, she was so in control, it was incredible to see.

After charging to increasing electoral strengths and shocking, the patients heart started beating on its own again. Once the patient had stabilised, Alex looked around the room and was met with increasing silence, the tension in the room building before she angrily questioned;

"What the fuck happened in here?!" No response..

"And why wasn't I paged sooner, you don't wait until my stupid intern saunters in and then page me?!" The silence growing uncomfortably deeper..

"What is wrong with you people? Next time when one of **my** interns patients is coding you page me right away." and with that statement hanging in the uneasy air, her and her flaring green iris' left, whilst indicating for a hesitant Tricia to follow her.

"Doctor Miller, a word." she said once outside the room.

_Omg I'm going to get fired on my first day… _Tricia braced herself.

"You did good in there. That was a lot of unnecessary pressure that should not have been put on you on your first day, so well done." Alex surprisingly commended her with a smile, remembering all too well what her inter year was like and how sucky it was. She always tried to be fair as a teacher because if one of her interns ever categorically fucked up it was on her.

"Thank you, Doctor Vause." Tricia was totally taken aback. The pair went in opposite directions in the corridor, but not before parting with a civil smile.

* * *

><p>Oblivious to Tricia's stressful situation, the group of interns ate their lunch and chatted idly, becoming acquaintances, perhaps even friendships forming. However their conversation soon turned to gossiping about their new attending…<p>

"She's really fucking hot though." John was the first to excitedly state the obvious.

"I know! And so young for an attending!" Tasha correctly added.

"My first impression tells me that those others were wrong about calling her horrible earlier, she seems fair, nice even. I like her." Lorna sweetly said.

Piper had nothing to add, she just smiled along and nodded in agreement, happy that her peers were saying positive things about Doctor Vause. However, the truth of the matter was that talking about Alex would totally make her blush uncontrollably, and that most certainly, would not be good.

* * *

><p><span>Authors Note:<span> I must say that I am very sorry for any confusion caused, it was my understanding that this is fanfiction and therefore you are free to write and use themes from television shows but after reading a review that; "This is the first episode of Grey's anatomy but with OITNB. Sorta plagiarism… Shonda wouldn't appreciate this" Initially, I didn't submit this fic in the crossover section because I'm using no characters from Grey's and I did mention Grey's as inspiration at the bottom of chapter 1, but to be more clear I have now added a little disclaimer type thing in the summary. I just liked the way Derek and Meredith met and thought it would be cute to do that in a similar way with Alex and Piper for a bit of fun. Anyway, very sorry to that unhappy reviewer. I am totally new to this and also very aware I am no Shonda Rhimes.


	4. smiles hidden by facemasks

Piper was stood in her theatre attire; wearing fresh scrubs, a light blue surgical cap and her facemask was tied securely and fitted comfortably. She stood in front of one of the large industrial sized chrome sinks, there was a glass panel up above, a window into the operating room. It was already populated with people; surgical nurses, assisting doctors, the patient was already prepped and lying on the table, and then of course there was Doctor Vause, all ready to go. Piper's eyes immediately fell on her and she watched her for a moment before she proceeded to start the process of scrubbing in. She then distinctly chose to use the clear/pink antiseptic solution out of the three available, she liked the colour. Turning the taps on, she removed the nail pick and brush from the sterile pack and began washing, starting at her hands and working upwards whilst carefully rinsing the soap off in the same direction. She couldn't help but look up whilst doing so to purposefully catch the odd glimpse of Alex. Finally, after just under five minutes she was finished her first proper surgical scrub and then cautiously turned the taps off using her elbows, careful not to infect her hands or she would have to start the whole process all over again. Piper was nervous, she was going in there as an intern, not as a medical student, therefore, she felt needed this time and certainly didn't want to fuck up, not in front of Alex. She had done her research on this case, knew the steps of the complicated surgery and so walked into the operating room with as much confidence as she could muster.

"Nice of you to join us, Doctor Chapman. We were just getting started." Doctor Vause said smugly as Piper was helped into a gown and gloves by one of the surgical staff. Piper nodded shyly and walked over to join her at the table, facing opposite her.

Alex's growing smile was hidden by her facemask, which she was grateful for, she couldn't help but light up at the sight of the young blonde. Alex was wearing her favourite scrub cap, because she was an attending she got to choose her own design and didn't have to wear a basic light blue one like all the interns and residents had to wear. Today Alex's cap was black, her favourite colour, with the detail of small red roses patterned sparingly over. The dark colour of the cap contrasted against her porcelain complexion and further highlighted her beautiful yet piercing green eyes.

This surgery was long, all Piper had done thus far was correctly answer numerous questions about the procedure which were fired at her from her teacher. She was having a great time though; watching, observing Alex's skill, learning. The rush from being there was overwhelming as it was. But then, nearing the end of the procedure Alex looked up at her and slyly said;

"Would you?" indicating towards the heart.

"What?" Piper dubiously asked

"Pick up the heart, I need it in a better angle so I can finish the sutures." She said it so calmly as if she was asking Piper to pass her the television remote or something. Piper's blue eyes shot widely open, her dark eyebrows rising up her forehead, totally working the deer in the headlights look, she just couldn't quite believe what Alex was asking her.

"You want _**me**_ to hold her heart, what if it slips or I squeeze it too hard or…" she nervously stuttered off.

"Piper, calm down. Stop being so dramatic." Alex gently teased, a slight laugh escaping her lips. Piper looked up and their eyes met and clicked in tune with one another. Alex calling her by her first name totally relaxed her and she forgot about the other people in the room watching the procedure, and them.

"Okay." she softly said. Piper turned into the confident girl she said she would be when she walked into the operating room hours ago, she was there to be helpful and so helpful was what she was going to be. And after all, Doctor Vause was the surgeon in charge, and she trusted her intern to slightly lift her patients heart. She could do it.

_Omg this is really happening…_ A smile working onto Piper's lips as she held her gloved hand firmly around the muscle. All the immense work and effort in medical school was put in for incredible moments like this, Piper Chapman was holding a human heart in her very hands. Meanwhile, Doctor Vause was busy suturing, repairing the damage of the broken organ. In those minutes, it was just them intensely working together and chemistry building, a connection almost tangible. Piper steadied her breathing and held the heart focusing carefully, but also watching Alex, mesmerized, when she looked at her amongst the assemblage of people in the room, everything just seemed to blur around her, they didn't matter, like everything else was just… background.

Her thoughts of wonder were broken when Alex looked up and carefully spoke;

"Okay I'm done, you can release the heart now, but very slowly.. very gently."

"Now let's start warming her up, let's get her heart beating on its own again!" Doctor Vause looked around and instructed the room.

She then turned her attention back to Piper; "Good job, kid." A proud smile curling her full lips, seemingly hidden by her mask. But Piper saw Alex's smile, it met her sparkling jade-coloured eyes and in that moment she felt so grateful to her. For this experience. Seeing the speechless Piper, Alex understandingly continued;

"I know. It's an amazing feeling, I'll never forget my first time. So much adrenaline pumping through your body and so much responsibility for holding the workings of another human being in your very hand."

"Thank you so much. You're an incredible teacher." And Piper meant it, she felt different once leaving the operating room that day, like this whole experience was real, she was really training to be a surgeon. And she was going to be a great one.

* * *

><p>Her first day was over and it went better than she could ever of imagined, she headed home feeling pleased and couldn't wait to tell her best friend Polly all about it. Omg, she was going to laugh so hard when she told her about who their houseguest this morning turned out to be.<p>

Polly had been her best friend since they met in high school and they have been totally inseparable ever since. Polly was about two inches smaller than Piper, pale skin with dark brown just past shoulder length hair, matched with deep brown eyes. Piper and Polly kind of came as a pair. Even choosing to live together once out of college. Polly had went to college too but then dropped out, it just wasn't for her. Now she made a living off of selling homemade soap bars and lotions in little boutique stores. Piper was pretty pleased about this though because it made their home smell so fucking good all the time. They lived in a little house within walking distance to the hospital and more importantly there was a bar on the corner of the street, which Piper was a regular visitor too, especially recently. That's where she had met Alex, sitting at the bar on her lonesome, and subsequently took the raven-haired girl home with her after having one too many tequila shots.

Piper didn't care much for style, she hated shopping and had far better things to do than go round home-wear stores to make her house look pretty. However, Polly predictably liked doing things like that so she kept their house looking modern and nicely furnished, all be it to her unique taste. They had a spacious living room despite it being a small house, with colourful artwork gracing the light greyish walls, glossy hardwood flooring, two immaculately clean off-white leather couches equipped with teal cushions, and a fluffy white rug -oh so Polly- underneath their glass coffee table. There was also a book shelf containing Piper's vast collection of books, she was a voracious reader, and totally proud of that, a small flat screen television situated in the corner, and finally the odd luscious green house plant.

"Hey Pipes! How'd your first day go?" Polly called to her from the living room as she heard her clambering through the front door.

Whilst taking her navy blue jacket off she yelled back; "Oh just wait till I grab a couple of beers before telling this story…"

* * *

><p>The next day at work Alex's interns sat around together in the social room, a room provided to them for times when they were on a break or not working. The space was fitted out with lockers on the outside walls: one assigned to each of the new interns, two brown fabric couches in the centre forming an L-shape, a small television and most importantly a vital coffee machine. They were hanging out there waiting for Doctor Vause to appear to take them on rounds, and soon their idle chit-chat turned to what their first day had been like yesterday, for which Piper had obvious bragging rights…<p>

"She really let _you_ hold the heart up. Wow." Tasha admiringly said in reply to Piper's elaborate story.

"Oh please, a monkey could hold a heart." John's jealousy evidently not well hidden. John Bennett was quite frankly a loud mouth, he always thought he was right and wrongly believed he was the best at everything. He had real drive to be a surgeon and definitely would be competition for Piper. He wasn't bad-looking either; with short dark brown hair, freshly shaven creamy toned skin and two deep brown eyes, so dark his pupils got lost amongst the colour.

They were soon interrupted when a resonant voice, all too recognisable to Piper, came from the doorway; "Rounds! Let's Go!"

This morning Alex had her black locks down, her hair gently wavy and it fell to just over where her breasts were. Piper regarded just how beautiful and shiny her long hair was. Alex also had her black-framed signature glasses on, adding to her smug faced character whilst highlighting her black eyeliner which flicked out at the sides of each eye. She had come carrying a bunch of patients medical charts with her and waited with a smirk in the doorway after summoning her five awaiting interns.

Piper rather enjoyed going on rounds, she thought it was quite fun going to different wards, seeing how her and her peers current patients were doing, whilst also meeting new patients whom she would be treating today. It made her feel like a proper doctor. Rounds were soon over and Doctor Vause dismissed them to get on with the plenty of new cases she had assigned to each of them. The others has hurried off and just as Piper was about to leave too, Alex reached out and gently touched her left shoulder, causing her to instantly turn around, Alex then, slightly nervously, asked her;

"Hey Piper, fancy going out for drinks after work later."

Piper was surprised, caught off guard, yes she could feel the undeniable chemistry growing between them but watching Alex lead rounds reminded her that she was indeed her teacher, her superior! and anything more than a friendship between them would be inappropriate, not strictly against hospital rules, but it was totally frowned upon. This understandably caused her to be hesitant, before uttering her totally inevitable reply;

"um.. Yeah sure."

Alex regarded Piper's reserve, slightly disheartened, she added; "Okay, I mean you don't have too?" She raised her eyebrow, before finishing.. "If you decide later you want to, just meet me in my office after you've finished work."

Piper realised she had unintentionally damped Alex's spirit with her reply that had come out a lot drier than intended, because she really did want to go out with her. To try and rectify the situation, in the sweetest voice she could muster she reassuringly said;

"No, it's not that.. I do want to go out. You know what.. It's a date!" finishing with a wide toothy grin for clarity.

Piper walked away with flushed cheeks,_ It's a date… did I really just say that.. Oh god.._

Seeing Piper's change in demeanour Alex laughed smugly to herself and walked briskly off to get on with her busy day, pleased that the had gotten the blonde to agree to go out with her. She could just tell that this was going to be an interesting date.

* * *

><p>Authors Note: Thank you to shrub-skinz, patalano, DA15Y, derekjeter2, b3rlin, Sc2ud, Bullfrog21, endofeverything and the 6 guest reviewers for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it :)<p> 


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